Tradesmen called on to fix botched DIY

Botched DIY by UK householders is leading to a boom in demand for tradesmen such as decorators, plumbers and electricians, new research has shown.

The UK may be keen on DIY, thanks to a plethora of home improvement shows, but unfortunately they don’t always get it right. Research by insurance firm Swinton found that two-thirds of tradespeople, including plumbers, builders, electricians and plasterers, say that a quarter of their business is made up of fixing householders’ mistakes and attempts at DIY.

Four in ten say they are often called out to fix DIY disasters at commercial properties and 70 per cent say they regularly witness botched jobs which actually put people’s safety at risk.

Most professional tradespeople think individuals try to do their own handiwork because they assume it will be cheaper – however, it often ends up being a false economy. Half believe people think these skilled jobs are easy and 47 per cent say some are too worried about being ripped off by rogue traders.

Of those surveyed, plumbers appear to be called out to rescue the most DIY blunders, with one in five saying these jobs account for a huge 84 per cent of the work they take on. In addition, electrical mistakes are the ones most likely to endanger people, and 27 per cent of electricians say almost half their work is fixing mistakes. The kitchen is the room where shoddy workmanship is most likely to be found, followed by the bathroom.

Taking accredited training is an ideal way for tradespeople to show their skill and reassure the public that some jobs are best left to a professional.